URBAN DECAY BORN TO RUN PALETTE

Sometimes when a new product is announced I'll sit on the fence, wait for more pictures to be released, read some reviews and then maybe pick it up once I decide it's worth it. Other times, I'll see one picture, go I NEED THIS and add it to my basket the second it's released. The Urban Decay Born To Run Palette was the latter.

The shade selection in this palette is gorgeous. You've got 21 (!) warm neutrals, dark smokey shades and metallic pops of colour so the possibilities are endless with this bad boy. Some of my favourites include Still Shot as a peachy transition shade, Ignite which is a stunning metallic copper, Hell Ride which is a deep matte magenta and Big Sky which is a beautiful shimmery teal. Thankfully, the formula does the shades justice. Urban Decay really know how to nail a matte shadow - all the mattes in this palette are smooth, pigmented and blend effortlessly. And, the metallics are super creamy, shiny and just plain beautiful.

I know the packaging has been getting mixed reviews but personally I think the photo collage design is cool and definitely fits the travel theme. Speaking of travel, this palette is pretty perfect for taking on holiday. Considering it contains 21 shades, it's actually quite slim and compact. I like that there isn't a brush included because I never end up using them so they just add extra bulk. It also contains a really decent sized mirror that even fits my five-head. Score.

I have noticed that a couple of the deeper shades - Double Life and Wanderlust - have a black base which means once you blend them out they look quite a bit darker than they do in the pan. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because the colours are still pretty, they just look different on the eye than in the palette. Also, if you've got a lot of Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes you might end up with some dupes in this one. Smog appears in the original Naked Palette, some of the warm tones look similar to those in the Naked Heat and the metallic blues are a lot like the ones in the Beached Palette. But, if you're anything like me, this won't stop you because you own more eyeshadows than you can shake a stick at and you'll continue to buy more regardless of whether you already have similar colours.

Overall, though, I think this palette is stunning and the formula is great. The variety of shades and finishes means there's so many looks you can create and I'll absolutely be taking this on my travels this year.